Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-03-05
A TYPICAL SWELL DINNER.
HOW ONE WAS GIVEN BY eek
CLUSIvT' NEW WORKERS.

Bills of Fare With Each Guest'e
What was Eaten.
In one of her New York letters Clara
Belle says The anti-dance dinners are
careful affairs, it need scarcely be said,
for they are inevitably compared, con-
trasted and discussed by the guests
when they assemble Immediately after
ward Mrs. William Waldorf Astor't
dinner, on the last of these occasions, was
for only twelve couples. The long table
had no cloth, the beautifully polished
mahogany being bare, except for strip
of finely embroidered velvet through the
center, on which stood rare flowers in
art vases and wax candles in elaborate
candelabra. At each guests place lay
hand-I ainted bill of fare, with his or
her name not on it, but instead a carica-
ture portrait, by means of which loca-
tions we're made. These pictures did not
distort the faces, Nor at all Extensively ex-
aggerate any personal petuliarities but
were merely big heads on small
bodies, and altogether rather fat
tering than otherwise. They were
exquisite'y drawn by some clever
artist. and one who did not
care to be known as having done
such utilitarian work, for no mark Of his
identity could be discovered on the cards.
To every lady was also provided big
corsage bouquet, tied with satin ribbon to
harmonize with her toilet. A great va.
riety of colors must have been provided
beforehand and selections hastily but ac-
curately made by some expert after the
arrivals, because no instance of bad
match could be seen the table round. The
gentlemen got button-hole punches of
flowers. Mr.. and Mrs. Astor led the way
into the dining-room, but separated and
took places opposite each other at the
centre of the board The rest found
their assigned chairs in pairs The femi
nine toilets were beautiful and costly,
but in no instance gorgeous. Simple elc
gance seemed to be aimed at.
The repast began with raw oysters,
tiny ones, opened on the deep shells, the
outsides of which had been FURNISHED
until they were fit for iewelry. They
were not served On plates, butin frames
of twisted and silvered wire, each of
these novel contrivances holding ten.
The next course was clear soup in hand
painted dishes. Boiled salmon, with
white sauce aud Partisan potatoes, came
third, The fish was not brought on
dishes ornamented with pictures of fish.
Such crockery has gone out of fashion
with the extremely swell, and now it is
not thought refined to have representa-
tions of anything eatable painted on
dishes. Even flowers are not approved
for such purposes. The idea is, that if,
in lifting morsel of delicate food
a rose should be uncovered, the
highly educated and acute palate of the
eater might be offended. Chicken crc-
QUOTES and asparagus were fourth; next
small broiled birds, then fillets of beef
with mushrooms; then ices with cake,
and finally coffee. 1t will be seen that
no great variety was afforded, but the
cookery was perfect. The dinner began
at 8 o'clock and lasted until IL. Talk
occupied much of the time, but there
was hearty eating generally for it is con
sidered stylish now for women to have
robust appetites.
Was there alcohol in this dinnerl
Plenty. Total abstinence is not prac-
ticed in any swell New York family that
know Of a different wine was brought
with every course. And each wine had
its separate and fanciedly appropriate
glasses. Chablis came in a small glass,
with slender stem and concave sides,
holding no more than good swallow,
which was taken down at one gulp by
most of the guests That was regarded
as an appetizer, and accompanied the
oysters The soup was simultaneous
with red wine, tasting like Macon, and
served in stemmed glass whose sides
were convex, thus holding enough to sip
slowly during the course. The fish was
contemporaneons with a Rhenish wine
in green, thin tumbler, and in this case
decanters we e left within reach of all
the diners, so that reflling was handy.
With the chicken came red and white
Bordeaux in the original bottles. Just
after the beef a rum punch was served in
tiny cups of some rare China ware. The
champagne arrived with the dessert, and
there was choice of three makes.